On the ground, on a launch ramp or pad, such a rocket is often connected to umbilical ducts for feeding it with propellants, pressurizing fluids, and/or electricity until the moment it lifts off. Those ducts may also provide other services, such as for example conveying data between the rocket and a control station. In order to make a connection between such umbilical ducts and the rocket, they present pairs of mutually complementary connectors often referred to as “valve plates” because of the presence of valves presenting fluids from flowing when the connectors separate.
On certain current rockets, such as for example launchers of the Ariane 5 family, at least some of these pairs of mutually complementary feeding connectors are separated before igniting the propulsion engines of the first stage. Consequently, it is normally necessary to verify that they have been disconnected before the rocket lifts off. And above all, in the event of liftoff being aborted after separation of the feeding connectors, and in particular when the tanks of the rocket contain cryogenic liquids, in particular propellants, it typically becomes necessary to empty those tanks via other connectors and also to replace the feeding connectors. Unfortunately, this involves intervention by means that are expensive and also prevents the rocket from being used during a precious length of time.